Lot more to Warwick's Reilly than meets the eye

WARWICK — At first glance, Warwick's Tommy Reilly hardly looks like a prototypical sprinter but looks can be deceiving.

Ken McMillan

WARWICK — At first glance, Warwick's Tommy Reilly hardly looks like a prototypical sprinter but looks can be deceiving.

"That's what most people say,'' Reilly said. "People don't expect it and it's kind of fun.''

Reilly used to be a miler and 2-miler but his coaches noticed he had some good finishing kicks so they started putting him in more sprint events. At the start of the season Reilly was put through a 100-meter test and he posted a hand time of 10.9 seconds.

"That was kind of eye opening for me and my coaches,'' Reilly said. "I think I found my niche.''

Reilly stunned Cornwall sprint standout Anthony Hall in a dual meet 100 earlier this season. Hall exacted his revenge in Saturday's 100 final in the Orange County league meet but Reilly utilized the same sort of speed to beat a talented field in the long jump, soaring 21 feet, 5 inches, breaking his previous best by almost 5 inches.

"It makes me excited for the future,'' Reilly said. "Indoor, I didn't perform as well as I wanted to but now I am looking forward to state quals (the Section 9 qualifiers) and I can really match up with some of these guys. It's looking good for me.''

Reilly, who finished second in the 100 in 11.23 seconds and fourth in the 200 in 23.09, readily acknowledges he's not a big or particularly strong kid but he said speed and good jumping form can go a long way.

"He's got tremendous speed down the runway and once he gets in the air he's got a lot of hang time,'' said Warwick coach Mike Potter.

"I worked a lot on technique in the air "» I am really efficient in the air,'' Reilly said. "I get that speed down the runway and I convert it into the horizontal.''

What's even more amazing is Reilly is coming off a stress fracture and prolonged bout of pneumonia.

Tommy's efforts add more to a growing family lore on the track. Younger sister Megan, a freshman, enjoyed a breakout season in cross country and continues to succeed in distance events and jumping events. Their grandfather, Arthur Evans, was a standout runner at Manhattan College.

"Most people ask me, 'How does it feel to be beaten by your sister in the mile?' '' Tommy Reilly said. "I am proud of her. I am not that kind of brother who would get angry over it. I am happy for all that she does. It inspires me too, to be the best that I can be.''

Reilly said he's excited for his future, and already has his sights set on breaking Warwick's long-standing record of 10.5 seconds in the 100 meters set by Rich Beattie.